Iowa grants gun permits to the blindJason Clayworth, The Des Moines Register 1 a.m. EDT September 8, 2013No one questions the legality of the permits, but some officials worry about public safety.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Here's some news that has law enforcement officials and lawmakers scratching their heads:

Iowa is granting permits to acquire or carry guns in public to people who are legally or completely blind.

No one questions the legality of the permits. State law does not allow sheriffs to deny an Iowan the right to carry a weapon based on physical ability.

The quandary centers squarely on public safety. Advocates for the disabled and Iowa law enforcement officers disagree over whether it's a good idea for visually disabled Iowans to have weapons.

On one side: People such as Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington, who demonstrated for The Des Moines Register how blind people can be taught to shoot guns. And Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, who says blocking visually impaired people from the right to obtain weapon permits would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. That federal law generally prohibits different treatment based on disabilities

On the other side: People such as Dubuque County Sheriff Don Vrotsos, who said he wouldn't issue a permit to someone who is blind. And Patrick Clancy, superintendent of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, who says guns may be a rare exception to his philosophy that blind people can participate fully in life.

Private gun ownership — even hunting — by visually impaired Iowans is nothing new. But the practice of visually impaired residents legally carrying firearms in public became widely possible thanks to gun permit changes that took effect in Iowa in 2011.

"It seems a little strange, but the way the law reads we can't deny them (a permit) just based on that one thing," said Sgt. Jana Abens, a spokeswoman for the Polk County Sheriff's Department, referring to a visual disability.

As Northern California fire crews were out battling the raging Morgan Fire near Mount Diablo this weekend, someone was rifling through their station and stealing their stuff.

Firefighters returned to Station No. 7 at 1050 Walnut Avenue in Walnut Creek Monday after battling the brush fire to find their iPads, watches, cash and even two wedding rings gone.

The discovery was disheartening to the crews who had spent 24 hours protecting at least 100 structures threatened by the fire, which had grown to 3,200 acres and was 70 percent contained as of Wednesday, said Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Aubert. Police are now looking for the person or people who did it.

Firefighter Judon Cherry was especially rattled. He noticed his things were missing when he wanted to charge his phone and check in with his wife of 20 years, only to find his belongings - including his watch and wedding ring - weren't there.

"When I went into the bedroom to charge my phone I noticed my stuff had been messed with and my iPad was missing," Cherry said.

Cherry said knowing someone went through bedroom lockers and stole their personal belongings while they worked to save homes is almost unbelievable.

"Are you serious? Somebody actually came into the fire station and stole from us after we helped people?" Cherry said. "It's devastating."

Tony Iommi was hospitalized after North American tourBlack Sabbath guitarist still battling lymphoma

As Black Sabbath’s North American tour wore on, you could notice signs that this tour cycle for the “13” album just might be the last go-round for the trio of Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne. Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times the rigors of this tour is taking its toll and he can’t see the band doing it again. When I saw Sabbath a few weeks ago in Vancouver, as strong as Ozzy was for the bulk of the show, his vocal stamina deteriorated so badly at the end they had to cut two songs from the set list. Meanwhile, Iommi, who was the picture of dignified, stoic strength onstage, has been battling his lymphoma all the while. And according to a post on his official website, he recently returned to hospital for more treatment. He writes:

Well we've finished the US leg of our world tour. It was a bit longer than I would have liked as I've already been in hospital having another infusion. The tour was amazing though, you always hope it's going to go well but you never know, it's great to look out and see so many people of all ages. The new songs have been going down well, we've played them enough now so we're comfortable and that helps the performance. Many thanks to everyone who came to see us, South America next, and just like Australia this is a first time for Ozzy, Geezer and me together. All the best!

As he mentions, Sabbath’s world tour will hit South America in October, followed by an extensive UK/European tour in November and December. If you live in any of those places, don’t miss this chance.

A toast to those who died and those who made it out alive! SALUD NYC! {-

Yup.

_________________Everytime we picked a booger we'd flip it on this one winduh. Every night we'd contribute, 2, 3, 4 boogers. We had to use a putty knife, man, to get them damn things off the winduh. There was some goober ones that weren't even hard...

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The 2013 Ig Nobel Prize is out!The Ig Nobel is a prize awarded to serious scientist who publish works that makes you laugh, before it makes you think.

This year's highlight:

Probability Prize: Bert Tolkamp (UK/the Netherlands), Marie Haskell, Fritha Langford. David Roberts, and Colin Morgan (UK), for making two related discoveries: First, that the longer a cow has been lying down, the more likely that cow will soon stand up; and second, that once a cow stands up, you cannot easily predict how soon that cow will lie down again.

One study looked at the time between cows standing up and sitting down

_________________The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

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